What will you have?"
"A magnificent silk dress, and a long white veil, such as the ladies
of rank wear."
"See, see!" exclaimed the merchant, regarding the boy, whose eyes
fairly sparkled in amazement. "You were right, Mohammed, you are no
longer a boy. You are in love, and it is assuredly a bride to whom
Mohammed wishes to present this love-offering?"
"No, Mr. Lion, no bride, but a love-offering the articles certainly
are."
"Only an amorous intrigue, then?" asked the merchant, shrugging his
shoulders. "You are beginning early with such things, Mohammed. Yet
I am glad you are not about to affiance yourself, as is customary
here at your age, with a girl ten years old, whose eyes please you,
or who has a good dower; ten years later, after she has been long-
veiled, and you no longer know how she looks, you marry her and take
a wife to your home, whom to be sure you have often seen and often
spoken to, but of whose present looks you know nothing."
"If we do not like her, we send her back to her mother. There is
nothing that binds us to keep the woman we do not like, and our
prophet has arranged this very wisely--while you Christians must
keep the woman, though you sometimes find yourselves very badly
deceived. Praise to Allah, and thanks to the prophet!"
"Then it is an amorous intrigue? Well, I will not demand the reason,
for the young gentleman certainly knows the first law of love--
discretion," observed the merchant, with a smile.
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